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Preview: Match 46 – SRH v RCB

Match 46 of Pepsi IPL 2014 will see the Royal Challengers Bangalore challenge the Sunrisers Hyderabad for two points.

The defeat against the Kolkata Knight Riders in their previous match has left the Sunrisers Hyderabad with no more room for slipups. They have eight points from 11 outings, and one more defeat will eliminate them from Playoffs contention.

RCB’s win over the Chennai Super Kings last weekend has meant they are currently sandwiched between the Kolkata Knight Riders (10 points) and Sunrisers Hyderabad in league standings. A win here will only further their goal of finishing among the top four teams at the end of the league phase.

When

Tuesday, May 20, 2014, 4 pm IST

Where

Rajiv Gandhi Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad

The Protagonists

These are crucial times for both Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore. It is, therefore, important that the big-ticket players stand up and take responsibility.

SRH will look towards the big three – Shikhar Dhawan, Aaron Finch and David Warner – to deliver the big blows with the bat and hope that Dale Steyn can lift himself and deliver some telling blows.

RCB will need Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli to spend some time in the middle. Both these batsmen are capable of demolishing bowling attacks in a matter of minutes. But given their poor run of form, it is important that they settle down first, get their timing right and then play their shots. In AB de Villiers, they have perhaps one of the best batsmen in the world; the South African is on top of his game when he bats in the death overs. It is important that Gayle, Kohli and the rest of the top order gives de Villiers the platform from which he can launch.

Notes from previous match

Sunrisers Hyderabad v Kolkata Knight Riders: Three of their top four players got off to starts, but none of them batted for more than 24 deliveries. That the batsmen didn’t capitalise and convert starts must be an area of concern for the Sunrisers Hyderabad management. The bowlers too erred by bowling too many fuller length deliveries; the 34 fuller length deliveries cost the team 66 runs, while the remaining 84 deliveries in the KKR innings only cost them 80 runs.

Royal Challengers Bangalore v Chennai Super Kings: The RCB bowlers deserve a pat on the back from the team management for restricting a power-packed CSK line-up to 138. In close to seven of the 20 overs they bowled, the RCB bowlers landed the ball right on the good length area and in the corridor of uncertainty. The batsmen though made life difficult for themselves when they failed to rotate the strike. On a surface where scoring boundaries was a difficult proposition, the sensible approach would have been to pick the gaps and keep ticking the ones. However, in RCB’s innings, there were 55 dot-balls – 25 of them in the first six overs. In trying circumstances, it is important that players apply themselves, and RCB were found wanting in this department on that particular day.Previous Meetings

Royal Challengers Bangalore have won two of their three matches against Sunrisers Hyderabad. SRH won the first meeting between these two teams, which was tied at the end of regulation and had to be decided by means of a Super Over.

Trivia

All three matches at the Rajiv Gandhi Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad have been won by the team chasing.

What Next

Both teams will be seen in action next on May 22. While Sunrisers Hyderabad will be seen competing against the Chennai Super Kings in Ranchi, Royal Challengers Bangalore will clash with the Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens.

Quick Stats : Match 43, SRH v KKR

0 Sunrisers’ win-percentage at home in IPL 2014 – 3 losses in 3 matches. They had a win-percentage of 87.50 at home last season (7 wins in 8 matches).

6 Number of consecutive innings in which Robin Uthappa has scored 40 or more - a new IPL record. Three batsmen - Matthew Hayden, Virender Sehwag and Mike Hussey - had five such scores in consecutive innings.

21 Number of sixes conceded by Amit Mishra off his bowling in IPL 2014. He now shares the dubious distinction of conceding most sixes in a single edition of IPL. Piyush Chawla had also been hit for 21 sixes in the inaugural season of the IPL

34.76 Difference in Robin Uthappa’s batting average in the UAE leg and the India leg of IPL 2014. He averaged 19.40 in five matches in the UAE. In six matches in India, his average is 54.16